Phosphorylation smooth muscle activation

The mechanism underlying the selective phosphorylation of Thr s is not clear, but it suggests the activity of an unidentified kinase. Based on these experiments and studies characterizing the mechanical properties of arterial smooth muscle activated by phor-bol esters (Fulginiti et al., 1993), it was concluded that phorbol ester-stimulated contraction in smooth muscle can occur by a mechanism that is independent of LC20 phosphorylation. 

Protein kinase C phosphorylates Ser-1 or Ser-2 and Thr-9 on the regulatory light chain (Bengur et al., 1987 Ikebe etal., 1987). This phosphorylation decreases the actin-activated MgATPase activity of smooth muscle myosin that was already phosphorylated by MLCK at Ser-19, by decreasing the apparent affinity for actin with no effect on the (Nishikawa et al., 1984). Protein kinase C phosphorylation of Ser-19 phosphorylated smooth muscle myosin does not affect the rate of movement in either of the two motility assays (Umemoto et al., 1989 Okagaki et al., 1991). Phosphorylation by protein kinase C in the absence of MLCK phosphorylation neither increases the actin-activated MgATPase activity nor supports in vitro motility (Sellers et al., 1985 Nishikawa et al., 1984). 

C. Smooth Muscle Activation and Enhanced Protein Tyrosine Phosphorylation tasGAP Is a Substrate... 

Smooth muscle contractions are subject to the actions of hormones and related agents. As shown in Figure 17.32, binding of the hormone epinephrine to smooth muscle receptors activates an intracellular adenylyl cyclase reaction that produces cyclic AMP (cAMP). The cAMP serves to activate a protein kinase that phosphorylates the myosin light chain kinase. The phosphorylated MLCK has a lower affinity for the Ca -calmodulin complex and thus is physiologically inactive. Reversal of this inactivation occurs via myosin light chain kinase phosphatase. 

The ETa receptor activates G proteins of the Gq/n and G12/i3 family. The ETB receptor stimulates G proteins of the G and Gq/11 family. In endothelial cells, activation of the ETB receptor stimulates the release of NO and prostacyclin (PGI2) via pertussis toxin-sensitive G proteins. In smooth muscle cells, the activation of ETA receptors leads to an increase of intracellular calcium via pertussis toxin-insensitive G proteins of the Gq/11 family and to an activation of Rho proteins most likely via G proteins of the Gi2/i3 family. Increase of intracellular calcium results in a calmodulin-dependent activation of the myosin light chain kinase (MLCK, Fig. 2). MLCK phosphorylates the 20 kDa myosin light chain (MLC-20), which then stimulates actin-myosin interaction of vascular smooth muscle cells resulting in vasoconstriction. Since activated Rho... 

The major relaxing transmitters are those that elevate the cAMP or cGMP concentration (Fig. 3). Adenosine stimulates the activity of cAMP kinase. The next step is not clear, but evidence has been accumulated that cAMP kinase decreases the calcium sensitivity of the contractile machinery. In vitro, cAMP kinase phosphorylated MLCK and decreased thereby the affinity of MLCK for calcium-calmodulin. However, this regulation does not occur in intact smooth muscle. Possible other substrate candidates for cAMP kinase are the heat stable protein HSP 20, (A heat stable protein of 20 kDa that is phosphorylated by cGMP kinase. It has been postulated that phospho-HSP 20 interferes with the interaction between actin and myosin allowing thereby smooth muscle relaxation without dephosphorylation of the rMLC.) Rho A and MLCP that are phosphorylated also by cGMP kinase I (Fig. 3). 

MLCK itself is phosphorylated by cyclic-AMP activated protein kinase, (protein kinase A) and cyclic-GMP activated protein kinase, (protein kinase G). Protein kinase A will phosphorylate MLCK at two sites and protein kinase G at one in some cases and two in others. These differences seem to be important in how the individual smooth muscle cells are regulated. 

Finally, if the phosphorylation of myosin is the activation mechanism, then dephosphorylation is likely to be the deactivation mechanism, and so it seems. However, there are several myosin phosphatases in smooth muscle cells and they have some range of substrate specificities. Thus, there are several possible candidates for a regulatory role. 

Although in in vivo circumstances an intracellular free calcium increase apparently acts as the primary modulator of contraction, it can be bypassed in highly permeabilized smooth muscle preparations where the active subunit of MLCK can be introduced to phosphorylate myosin and induce contraction. The MLCK catalyzed phosphorylation of serine-19 is seen as the necessary event in the activation of smooth muscle myosin to form crossbridges. Thus, the rising phase of force during an isometric smooth muscle contraction follows an increase in the degree of phosphorylation of myosin, and that in turn follows the transient rise of (a) cytosolic free Ca, (b) Ca-calmodulin complexes, and (c) the active form of MLCK. The regulation of the intracellular calcium is discussed below. The dynam-... 

If MLCK activates contraction by increasing myosin phosphorylation, then an increase in the activity of myosin light chain phosphatase, MLCP, by decreasing the fraction of myosin which is phosphorylated, should lead to relaxation from the active (contractile) state. Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (AMP) is a strong inhibitor of smooth muscle contraction and it has been suggested that activation of MLCP could result from its phosphorylation via cAMP activated protein kinase (see Figure 5). 

Figure 6. A hypothetical scheme for the control of the number of active crossbridges in smooth muscle. Following the activation of a smooth muscle by an agonist, the concentrations of intermediates along the main route begins to build up transiently. This is shown by the thickened arrows. Also, cAMP is generated which is universally an inhibitor in smooth muscle. Cyclic AMP in turn combines with protein kinase A, which accounts for most of its action. The downstream mechanisms, however, are not well worked out and at least three possibilities are likely in different circumstances. First, protein kinase A is known to catalyze the phosphorylation of MLCK, once phosphorylated MLCK has a relatively lower affinity for Ca-calmodulin so that for a given concentration of Ca-calmodulin, the activation downstream is reduced. The law of mass action predicts that this inhibition should be reversed at high calcium concentrations. Other cAMP inhibitory mechanisms for which there is evidence include interference with the SR Ca storage system, and activation of a MLC phosphatase.

One should note overall, that while some of these suggested mechanisms may in the future prove to have a role in the control of smooth muscle contraction, in chemically skinned preparations maximum force development follows activation by the MLCK active subunit in extremely low Ca " ion concentrations. The conclusion can hardly be avoided that phosphorylation alone is sufficient for activation, and if another mechanism is involved, it is not necessary for the initial genesis of force. If such mechanisms are operative, then they might be expected to run in parallel or consequent to myosin phosphorylation. A possible example of this category of effect is that a GTP-dependent process (G-protein) shifts the force vs. Ca ion concentration relationship to lower Ca ion concentrations. This kind of mechanism calls attention to the divergence of signals along the intracellular control pathways. 

Once the intracellular Ca " concentration begins to rise, calmodulin-calcium binding also rises and MLCK, which is dependent on calmodulin activation, rises in turn. The next step in this cascade is the phosphorylation of myosin. Finally, the phosphorylation of myosin results in the activation of the crossbridges and the accompanying transduction of ATP energy into mechanical work. Despite its differences in regulation, smooth muscle behaves mechanically much like other muscles. 

---